---
title: "Computer Speed, Here’s More"
type: "article"
slug: "computer-speed-heres-more"
url: "http://localhost/article/computer-speed-heres-more/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/computer-speed-heres-more.md"
published_at: "2026-01-21T14:09:21+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-01-21T14:09:22+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "Back in June of 1989 I wrote some programs for the QL in three different languages (Forth, Pascal, and SUPERBASIC) to illustrate differing speed obtained by a threaded/interpreted language, a complied language, and our standard QL interpreted language (see 9/89 and 1/90 CATS NL). The program was a 17-line program (Superbasic version) that would determine…"
category:
  - name: "CATS Newsletter"
    slug: "cats-newsletter"
    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/cats-newsletter/"
indiv:
  - name: "Duane Parker"
    slug: "duane-parker"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/duane-parker/"
publication_r:
  id: 35941
  title: "CATS Newsletter"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/cats-newsletter/"
authors_r:
  - name: "Duane Parker"
    slug: "duane-parker"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/duane-parker/"
volume: "8"
issue: "8"
issues_articles:
  - id: 38919
    title: "CATS v8 n8"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/cats-v8-n8/"
pages: "7-8"
pubdate: "January 1991"
archive_link: false
---

Back in June of 1989 I wrote some programs for the QL in three different languages (Forth, Pascal, and SUPERBASIC) to illustrate differing speed obtained by a threaded/interpreted language, a complied language, and our standard QL interpreted language (see 9/89 and 1/90 CATS NL). The program was a 17-line program (Superbasic version) that would determine prime numbers less than 32767, and would stop at any value entered by the user. [Herb Schaaf](http://localhost/indiv/herb-schaaf/) went off toa class on “on programming and converted my code to “C” (with his improvements, of course – see 7/90 CATS NL). With his source code in “C” he had the opportunity compile the program and test it on the QL and a bunch of computers, from the QL (in its native mode and emulating an MS-DOS machine) up to a DEC VAX-8650, and even a Cray Supercomputer. Run-times varied from approximately 0.001 seconds to 2070 seconds to count all positive primes less than 32767.